Using the same password for all your online accounts is probably the worst idea ever. This is because in case your password leaked, hackers will be able to access all your online accounts and services.
At the same time, we understand that using different passwords for different websites can lead to confusion and will also be difficult to remember, but the good news is that this is where password managers can come in handy, and here’s how you can leverage these. applications to help you better protect your online accounts.
How to use a password manager
In this guide, we will use LastPass as our favorite password manager. LastPass is a free password manager, but at the same time, there is a paid version of the software that offers many more features.
However, if all you need is a tool to remember your passwords and organize your online accounts, the free version is more than enough to get the job done. You can download LastPass from its website here.
Generation of a complex password
Choosing a strong password is one of the first things you can do to ensure better protection of your accounts. However, if you’re having trouble deciding on a strong password, one of LastPass’s features is the ability to generate passwords for you.
- Click on the LastPass extension icon
- Select Generate secure password
- A password will be automatically generated, but you can further customize it or generate another one
- Touch the update icon to generate a new password.
- Choose the password length. Some websites have a minimum length, but in general, the longer it is, the better.
- You can also choose to include special characters. Some websites may not allow this, but you need to include them for those that do, as it makes it more difficult to guess the password.
- You may also have the option to make your password pronounceable, which may make it easier for some to memorize it.
- Once you are satisfied with the password, click Copy Password and it will be saved to the clipboard. You can then paste this password into the password field when registering for a new account or while changing the password of an existing account.
Saving a website
One of the advantages of a password manager is that it can store the username and password of a website that you use and it can even fill it automatically when you visit the website. This is similar to features built into browsers like Chrome.
- Open LastPass and click on the “+” button in the lower right corner of the screen
- Choose your password
- Enter the URL of the website for which you are saving the password
- Choose a name for this entry
- Enter the login username and password for the website
- If you want to access the website automatically, select Advanced options
- When finished, click Save
Access to a website
Now that you’ve saved a website in LastPass, how do you use it? If you have chosen Autologin, this means that when you reach the login page of a website, it will be automatically filled in and sent so that there is hardly any action on your part. However, if you haven’t selected Autologin, here’s how to access a website using LastPass.
- Go to the website you’re trying to access and you’ve saved your login information with LastPass
- Go to the login page and in the text fields, click on the LastPass icon
- Click on the website you are trying to access
- He should then fill in the form with your username and password
- Click Sign in and you’re good to go
Conclusion
Password managers are incredibly useful tools for manipulating all your online accounts and also for generating secure passwords. Of course, we imagine that some of you may not feel comfortable in providing all of this information to another company, but that’s the compromise.
LastPass isn’t the only password manager around since there are many more to choose from, such as 1Password and Dashlane.
